Message:
Matthew 2:1-12 “The Glory of Christmas: The Wisemen”
This
week we’ll watch as Tony, one of the wisemen in our play, sets himself aside to
remember that it is Christ who is the center of the Christmas Story. In the
same way, we remember that we are not the center of God’s Story, but Jesus is,
and our attention and devotion turn toward him!
Message: Luke 2:8-15 “The Shepherd”
The
announcement of the Good News that a Savior has been born was first proclaimed
by Angels to shepherds tending flocks in a field. Shepherds were considered
lowly compared to others. That God chose to reveal this Good News to them first
was to demonstrate that this was Good News for all people. The Gospel and New
Testament letters show how this message began with a few, but was always
intended to be carried to the whole world. We have been entrusted with carrying
this Good News forward to all who need it in our own day and age.
Message:
Matthew 1:18-25 “Joseph”
It is a recurring theme in the Bible that God chooses the most unlikely people to play the most significant roles in HisStory. Joseph is no exception. We’ll see how Joseph had to work through his fairs and second thoughts about his own role in God’s story. Then we’ll move toward a better understanding of how God has uniquely shaped us to do what only we can do as we take our place in HisStory.
Message: Luke 1:26-38 “The
Glory of Christmas: Mary”
Advent
begins this week and so we begin a new Advent message series. This first
message will focus on a truth we can learn from the life of Mary. Mary’s plans changed
that day the angel of the Lord encountered her with a new set of plans leading
to the glory of that first Christmas in a Bethlehem stable. She could tarry and
worry, or she could trust and wait on the Lord over the next nine months to
fulfill His plans and carry her into motherhood. Mary chose to trust and wait.
She chose to let God carry her through upcoming days of uncertainty, questions
from society about her character, hardships on her husband who also would need
some time to process this new change of plans.
Our
God knows the plans He has for all of us. As crazy as those plans may seem at
times, they are plans for our welfare and not for our evil. They are plans to
give us hope and a future. And that future includes a capacity to experience
and enjoy the glory of Christmas.
Message:
Romans 7 7-25 “Faults & Faith”
In this final message we’ll take a look at how Torah wasn’t prescribed to fix our faults, but rather to reveal them. Since Torah, or the Law, which is rules and regulations, can’t fix us, the Gospel turns us toward the solution, which is the Grace of God in Jesus Christ and the power of the Spirit at work in our lives. We’ll see how facing our faults is a mark of the mature believer.
Message:
Romans 6:11-23 “Everyone Serves Something or Someone”
Last
week we talked about the two ways that are open to us. There is the Way of Adam
and then there is the Way of Christ. This week we continue that discussion in
more vivid detail. In Romans 6 Paul essentially says that everyone services
something or someone, so who or what do you serve? We were made to serve God,
which actually brings us greater freedom. Yet, we often choose to serve lesser
beings or ideas, which ultimately place us in bondage and lead to death.
Message:
Romans 5:12-21, 8:1-12 “There’s Another Way”
In these passages, Paul reveals the two ways that are open to humanity. One is the Way of Adam, which is the way of ‘men.’ That way leads to destruction. But a new way has been opened up, which is the Way of Christ. This is the Way of Grace, and is not brought about by anything we can do, but received by faith in what God has done for us. This is a faith requires incredible trust in God rather than taking situations into our own hands by means of control. It is a faith that extends grace to others.
